Laudato Si Workshop Opening Remarks
In 2015, the summer that Laudato Si was promulgated, I was preparing to embark on my new appointment as the Pastor of a small Catholic community in Inuvik and its surrounding missions in the Western Canadian Arctic.
As I drove the 700 isolated kilometers of the Dempster Highway through the Yukon and Northwest Territories I was awestruck by the natural beauty. Following the course of river valleys and crossing two mountain ranges, not seeing a single other vehicle before or behind me for hours at a time I could have believed that the land I was driving through was pristine and untouched by human hands save for the ribbon of gravel road that stretched across the permafrost bed of the northern taiga and tundra landscapes.
I was soon to learn however that while the beauty of our northern lands is real, the idea that they have been untouched by our hand is an illusion.
While the traditional peoples of these lands have been present for thousands of years, living in a relatively harmonious relationship with the environment and God’s creation, the advent of towns, and mines and modern technologies are very new to the north and it is perhaps here that the contrast between the untouched and the recently spoiled is most clearly to be seen.
In Laudato Si, Pope Francis asks us to open our eyes and see what is happening to our common home. In the encyclical we read,
“ a sober look at our world shows that the degree of human intervention, often in the service of business interests and consumerism, is actually making our earth less rich and beautiful, ever more limited and grey, even as technological advances and consumer goods continue to abound limitlessly.” #34
I saw this plainly written in the communities which had been built up and then left abandoned by the speculative interests of oil and gas companies. This was clear in the divisive rift that had grown between those who had access to wealth of the mines and those who were left to live in poverty, off of government support. In a few short decades a traditional lifestyle that had been in tune with the seasons and the land, had turned to a consumer economy that left many people behind, scuttling the purpose of life for many elders and the hopes of so many young people.
Aside from toll on human health and relationships, the reality of climate change, which is still debated by some, could easily be put to rest in the minds of the doubtful by simply visiting the north. Melting permafrost and crumbling shorelines disrupt human habitation and dwindling migratory herds contribute to food scarcity. These are just a few of the stark indicators that our earth is on a path that we do not want to go down for the sake of the millions, or even billions of humans who will be adversely affected in a direct way not to mention the rest of the earth’s species which may not be able to adapt as quickly as we can. In the end we are all affected because we are all connected.
Despite drawing our attention to this bleak present reality and its causes, Laudato Si is, in fact, an encyclical about hope. It reminds us that, yes, we must change our course but also that we have what it takes to change. Again, from the encyclical we read,
“Many things have to change course, but it is we human beings above all who need to change. We lack an awareness of our common origin, of our mutual belonging, and of a future to be shared with everyone. This basic awareness would enable the development of new convictions, attitudes and forms of life. A great cultural, spiritual and educational challenge stands before us, and it will demand that we set out on the long path of renewal” (#202)
This is a challenging ask, but I believe the plan which will be laid out before us today is an important and hopefully fruitful step on the journey of change. Within our spiritual tradition lies an untapped source of wisdom and practical knowledge personified in the figure of St. Francis. Again, quoting from the document,
“In calling to mind the figure of Saint Francis of Assisi, we come to realize that a healthy relationship with creation is one dimension of overall personal conversion, which entails the recognition of our errors, sins, faults and failures, and leads to heartfelt repentance and desire to change” (#218).
I am also buoyed in hope by the crossover that I see between the work of Truth and Reconciliation with the Indigenous peoples of this land and the Call of Laudato Si. Within that window of intersection is an opportunity to learn from those who have been doing this the longest and who have the most immediate vested interest. From the encyclical we read,
“It is essential to show special care for indigenous communities and their cultural traditions. They are not merely one minority among others, but should be the principal dialogue partners, especially when large projects affecting their land are proposed. For them, land is not a commodity but rather a gift from God and from their ancestors who rest there, a sacred space with which they need to interact if they are to maintain their identity and values. When they remain on their land, they themselves care for it best.” 146
Good relations with our brothers and sisters are an integral step to a good relationship with all of creation. We can learn so much if we but listen.
And that is why we are here today to listen and to learn, to hear from our speaker and from one another. I am grateful that have this time together to share a common vision of a path that will lead us forward. It is my privilege to open this morning with prayer and I will do so using the words of St. Francis of Assisi from his most well known and beloved Canticle of the Creatures.
CANTICLE OF THE CREATURES
Most High,
all-powerful, good Lord,
Yours are the praises, the glory, and the honour, and all blessing.
To You
alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no human is worthy to mention Your name.
Praised be
You, my Lord, with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day and through whom You give us light.
And he is
beautiful and radiant with great splendour;
and bears a likeness of You, Most High One.
Praised be
You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
Praised be
You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather,
through whom You give sustenance to Your creatures.
Praised be
You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
Praised be
You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night,
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.
Praised be
You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains and governs us,
and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs.
Praised be
You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your
love, and bear infirmity and tribulation.
Blessed are
those who endure in peace
for by You, Most High, shall they be crowned.
Praised be
You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no one living can escape.
Woe to those
who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.
Praise and
bless my Lord and give Him thanks
and serve Him with great humility.